Immolate
by ColorlessXrainboW
Summary: Trouble arises in the Land of Fire when earthquakes brew and volcanoes erupt. Legend has it that these are signs of the Great Kyuubi's awakening. The only means of stopping it is to offer a worthy sacrifice, and so all of the Land of Fire has commenced the search for the last Uzumaki. But Naruto, a common slave, has vowed to never live up to his name. SasuNaru


**A.N. – I wrote this prologue listening to some pretty emotional tunes, so I might have overdone a few things, but I'm overall content with the end result. I originally had an entire chapter written out that explains everything, but decided to crop this chunk out as a prologue and use the chapter later instead. Why? Because I'm a very cheesy person by nature and love adding unnecessary angst.**

 **Prologue: Don't Look Back**

The temple was eerily quiet. It was the sort of quiet that made time stand still. The sort of quiet that was louder than sound. She wanted so badly to look up; make sure that the worst of her thoughts hadn't come true, but for reasons unknown to her she couldn't. _"Don't look back."_ Resonated the warmest of tones to her soothingly.

'Don't look back.' She mentally repeated to herself. She squeezed her eyes shut, praying for the strength to hold onto her resolve rather than run back. Back to cobalt eyes wide in fear and confusion. She would give anything to hear that familiar bubble of laughter one last time but all she heard was the loudest silence that tore at her heart.

'Don't look back.' She bit her lower lip, drawing blood in an attempt to stifle her sobs. 'Don't look back. Don't look back. Don't look back.' And she was broken from her thoughts when a gasp resonated within the room. Midnight blue opened to see the temple and the dark sheet of night, but truly she was listening. There it was. That familiar hitch of breath. Tears streamed from her eyes as she clutched at her chest tighter. No, she had an obligation as a wife and mother.

She stood from her previously crouched position and wobbled a bit. Her body was so tense beside the back doorway of the temple, she lost some feeling in her legs. As she walked down the aisle her feet were invaded by the sensation of prickling needles, but still her footing was steady. The sight before her gave her the resolve to step through the debris of bodies.

She reached the center of the aisle and came to a standstill. Her ruby red hair rippled slowly down her face until it curtained her expression. Her feet were matching in color as they soaked into the fluids on the stone floor. All the figure lying on the ground could see, surrounded by a pool of his own blood, was trinkets of water descending from the hidden face, onto his cheek. They were warm as they fell upon his cold skin. Was he cold? Never before had he been comforted by the warmth of her tears.

Cobalt eyes, eyes so blue they contrasted with the scarlet horror leaking from his body, searched for his life-long partner's gaze. Even in death Minato's gaze was timid and endearing. "Kushina." He whispered. "Please."

There was a loud sob and hitching of breath, but no answer to his plead. He saw her hair swing back and forth at her feet and smiled. He reached with his hand and caught a strand between his fingers. Bringing it to his face he closed his eyes and inhaled. "Kushina; my beautiful red string of fate."

Suddenly she crumbled. Her legs gave under her and she landed harshly on her bum. Blood splattered around her and her hair drew back to reveal her weeping face. "Minato!" she hiccupped. She was clutching something so tenderly in her bosom and Minato only had a second to react.

With surprising strength he reached for Kushina and clutched her to his soaked chest. Her face and tears molded with the blood. "My Kushina. I'm sorry." His voice almost broke and it tore at her heart more. "I'm sorry for loving you." She could sense the sorrow in his words. "I'm sorry for soiling you."

"No." she cried. "Don't say you're sorry. I'M sorry." How could she accept his promise? What kind of woman, kind of wife, kind of mother would she be if she could just turn away and run from this? "I had to come back." She was clutching at his robe, now a darker shade than her hair. "I-I l-Love You." She hiccupped. "So don't say you're sorry for loving me. It's because you loved me that I have so many fond memories."

Minato coughed, and some blood sprayed with the air, but he smiled endearingly still. "I love you." He kissed her forehead and stroked her hair and their gaze finally met. They kissed one last time, and it was tender and short, but it was enough to take with them to the other side.

His body reaching its peak, Minato's strength finally dissipated, but left him with enough to stroke the wild mane of the child coddled between he and his wife. Kushina was nuzzling in his neck while clutching the body closer. "So our son wanted to come with us?" he chuckled melancholy.

Kushina pinched a cheek, earning no reaction but remembering an adorable whine that usually followed. "Our little baby couldn't possibly go a day without his mommy." She chuckled.

There was hollow laughter and Kushina lost herself in the sound of Minato's heartbeat. There was a silence that followed, but one of comfort.

"Naruto is strong." Minato whispered.

Kushina smiled fondly, listening to Minato's fading heart-beat. "So strong. He doesn't know it yet, but he will in time. This world will test him, but if he could only keep on smiling that beautiful smile of his and touch people's hearts the way he does, I have confidence he'll make it through." Kushina ignored the limp hand on her sons head or the echo within the valley of her husband's chest. Instead she was listening to her own voice resonate in the room where so much death and hardships befell on her and her family.

"He is so strong Minato, you and I can't even begin to comprehend what miracles he is capable of. Maybe one day he'll come back here and change this horrible excuse of murder. He is even capable of turning a heart of stone to flesh."

There were footsteps in the distance, and Kushina was almost grateful. She didn't want to be left alone in the silence any longer. She had gone too long being accustomed to the sound of laughter to want to last longer in this world without it. Honestly, she couldn't leave her family waiting for too long. "Let us all be together again one day Minato, but not too soon Naruto."

 **A.N. – It's pretty obvious that there is a really big lack of appearance from both our main protagonist, BUT! If the summary or prologue has caught anyone's eyes please feel free to let me know so. I have Chapter 1 written up and ready to go as we speak, and it includes our favorite Uchiha and Uzumaki, so please review.**

 **P.S. – I promise this prologue will make sense in due time, just be patient ;)**


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